President Barack Obama is searching for a "lasting solution" to the plight of thousands of Yazidi refugees trapped on an Iraq mountainside, the White House said Wednesday, and is awaiting recommendations from military advisers sent to assess options for their rescue.

"This would be a humanitarian effort to get them to a safe space," said Ben Rhodes, the White House deputy national security adviser, at a news...

RELATED VIDEO

Iraq Crisis: U.S., Europe Weigh Options

The U.S. is considering a rescue mission in Iraq that will put its military in direct confrontation with Islamic State militants as France says it will deliver arms shipments to Kurdish forces in Iraq.